All Topics

• FDA Warns Sleep Aid Manufacturers

  Joe Saunders | March 15, 2007 9:11 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The FDA has told manufacturers of certain sleep aids that they must put stronger warnings on their labels in order to advise consumers of the possible side effects. The products include the popular Lunesta and Ambien.

• Slow Down and Save Lives on I-75

  Joe Saunders | May 30, 2006 10:24 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Speeding is a factor in 31 percent of all fatal crashes nationwide, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. At 70 mph, a driver is traveling at 102 feet per second. At 80 mph, the rate increases to 117 feet per second. Given that the average reaction time is about three seconds, that means a car going 70 mph will travel about 305 feet -- the length of a football field...

• Venice Catholic Bishop Speaks Out on Amendment 2

  Joe Saunders | November 02, 2008 12:33 PM | 1 CommentSarasota, FL

  On October 17, 2008 Bishop Frank Dewayne of the Catholic Diocese of Venice wrote a guest column in the Naples Daily News strongly supporting Amendment 2. Amendment 2 is on the Florida ballot this...

• Congress Starts Asking Questions About Dr. Jarvik

  Joe Saunders | January 08, 2008 11:36 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Dr. Robert Jarvik became known as the maker of the world's first artificial heart in the 1980's. Most recently, his face and name are splashed in tv and print media ads pitching Pfizer's cholesterol drug Lipitor. The marketing campaign is so often used that Congress has started asking Pfizer questions about Dr. Jarvik's qualifications to pitch a cholesterol drug. The Wall St. Journal...

• FDA Warns About Botulism in Canned Green Beans

  Joe Saunders | December 22, 2007 1:01 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The FDA is warning consumers about the potential for botulism in GFS Fancy Blue Lake Cut Green Beans manufactured by New Era Canning Company. Clostridium botulinum produces a toxin that can be life threatening. The green beans were distributed with lot numbers 19H7FL and UPC code 93901 11873, in large institutional-sized, 6 pound 5 ounce (#10) cans. New Era Canning Company has issued a...

• Salmon Spread Recall

  Joe Saunders | December 01, 2007 3:19 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Quality Plus Products, Inc., of Bellingham, Washington is recalling its 7 ounce packages of "Jackson's Quality Plus Smoked Wild Salmon Spread" because the top ingredient label does not mention eggs however; it is listed on the side label of ingredients. Those with allergies to eggs or egg products run the risk of adverse health risks if the product is consumed. This is just another in a recent...

• Dietary Supplement Recall

  Joe Saunders | November 27, 2007 3:38 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  Bodee LLC has issued a voluntary recall of all its Encore dietary supplements after the FDA determined that a chemical analyis of the supplement contained harmful, undeclared ingredients. The FDA analysis showed that Encore Tabs contained aminotadalafil, an analog of tadalafil, the active ingredient of a FDA-approved drug used for Erectile Dysfunction (ED). FDA maintains Aminotadalafil is close...

• Senate Bill Would Allow FDA Monitoring of Over the Counter Drug Ads

  Joe Saunders | November 13, 2007 8:18 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  A bill introduced by Senators Henry Waxman of California and Ted Kennedy of Massachusetts would give the FDA regulatory authority concerning ads for over the counter drugs. The bill comes in the wake of an FDA advisory about banning cold medicines for children under the age of 6. The new bill would give the federal agency power to impose monetary fines on advertisers. Presently, over the...

• Defunct Canadian Company Likely Source of E coli Outbreak in Beef

  Joe Saunders | October 29, 2007 7:19 PM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  The USDA is pointing its finger at a defunct Canadian company for the recent outbreak of E coli contaminated beef in the US. The company, Ranchers Beef, has been linked to E coli O157:H7 bacteria which has been linked to nearly 100 illnesses. This type of bacteria can cause diarrhea and dehydration, even death. The governmental agency has cautioned meat packing companies not to use products...

• Tampa Teacher Accused of Having Sex with Student

  Joe Saunders | October 24, 2007 10:56 AM | 0 CommentsSarasota, FL

  A female special education teacher has been accused of having sex with a 15 year old male student. She was released from the Orient Road jail on $7,500 bail. This most recent arrest comes on the heels of a report citing the alarming prevalence of sexual abuse among teachers and their students. The study and the arrest highlight the fact that children are often abused by authority figures...